Still Night in L.A.

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, this disappointing detective novel from Saroyan (The Romantic) has a decidedly unfinished feel to it. PI Michael Shepard gets hired by a model, Anita Holbrook, who believes someone may be trying to kill her. When Anita ends up dead a few hours later, he joins forces with a detective working the case. As he closes in on the killer, his life becomes complicated with the arrest of his son on DUI charges. When the killer disappears, Shepard focuses his attention on another case dealing with a husband who thinks his actress wife may be having an affair. Months later, Shepard receives word that the killer from his initial case may have been spotted in the Bay Area. Cardboard characters, an unengaging plot, an unconvincing hard-boiled tone, and incongruous cellphone photos throughout make this an unsatisfying read, especially considering the rich history of noir fiction in the City of Angels. (Oct.)